Blue Isn't His Colour
by chisora
Summary: Ianto Jones finds himself in space alongside The Doctor. While trying to find out why he is alive once more, Ianto and his new 'friends' learn that the circumstances are far more elaborate and evil than they originally thought. Ianto Jones has to find Jack and save the Universe before Space, Time and Coffee cease to be. DW Crossover. Janto Lovin'


**Chapter One**

It was both painfully cold and fiery hot in the dark void of the afterlife. There was nothing to show for it though, being dark and all. In fact, the darkness had an organic quality to it much like a storm cloud charged with energy. A storm cloud that wasn't visible.

Then there was the Silence. Capitalized because it too was organic and imposing. The Silence was deep and deafening to his ears, or well, the ears he assumed he had. Ianto could neither see, hear or speak really, just had this vague awareness that he _should_ be able to. The lingering sense of self that reminded him that he had eyes and ears and a mouth.

Of course having an eidetic memory wasn't really going to help him much now that he very truly dead. Though something Owen had said to him before everything went to hell, was that there was nothing in the afterlife. Just darkness and the overwhelming since of something there in the dark with you.

And there was definitely something out there in the abysmal darkness that surrounded the young, dead man.

The pain of existing in the place that did not exist, the caged feeling he felt from not being able to do anything _except_ feel, and the growing since of fear and foreboding went on for an eternity.

'Truthfully,' Ianto though to himself, 'I really could have been here for years now. No sense of time really, it all just feels the same...' To Ianto, It could have even been a century, or maybe only a few minutes even. Time seemed to collapse in on itself here in the Void with the Silence and the Cold Heat.

He was never very stable to begin with, always on the verge of a break down. A completely awkward man through and through to the very marrow of his bones and if his stammering, stuttering and rambling didn't prove it, than the fact that him sitting...or possibly standing here in the dark place, coming up with ridiculous names and titles for the feelings and overall empty-fullness of this place were proof enough.

Of course, Ianto did have his moments of grandeur and he could be very witty if the need called for it, however, this was not one of those times.

'The Freezing Void.'

'The Icy Hot Hell.'

'The Torture Basin.'

'The Damned-Boring-And-Slightly-Frightening Pin Cushion.'

He missed Jack. He missed Jack, Tosh, Gwen and Owen. He missed Lisa and the friendly Acquaintances who died at Canary Warf. He missed pizza and James Bond and coffee and so many other tiny blips in his life.

He hoped beyond it all that Jack had been able to deal with the 4-5-6. That he was able to kill them or send them away or something. That his sister and her children were safe. That Gwen's unborn child was safe. That the Earth was safe.

It had to be.

* * *

A millennial had passed.

Or maybe just a moment. Ianto couldn't tell. It didn't really matter much, though he was becoming restless. He had tried to focus on remembering the last movie he saw. A Bond film. 'Goldfinger' if he recalled correctly, which he always did.

But every time he tried to get lost in those detailed memories of entertainment, he'd be distracted by the fear the Icy Hot Hellvoid induced.

It was getting on his nerves much like Jack did when he threw one of his childish tantrums and stormed off leaving everyone involved dazed, confused and more than a bit pissed off.

He sighed inwardly. He could really use a mug of coffee. No, a carafe of coffee. Coffee...

As he continued to float in and out of existence, his mind humming along trying to fill time with silly memories, Ianto began to feel different. Not so much cold anymore. In fact, he felt a great deal warmer. Soon, he felt like he had been doused in gasoline and lit on fire. If he could have screamed, he would have. However, all he could do was become the pain and the heat. Then, all within the same moment, the darkness was gone and instead replaced by white hot light, as if he were in the center of all the light in the universe. Trapped at the center of a black hole which had devoured the light from the Big Bang.

And then he was Everything. Everyone. Time, Space and every speck of dust that had ever _been_.

* * *

When he came to, the first thing he noticed was how heavy he felt. He imagined it was how an astronaut felt when they returned to earth from a quick trip to the moon.

The next thing he realized, was he wasn't just floating around anymore, he was lying on his back. His back was cold so he decided it must have been a metal floor or table of some sort. The image of the gurney in the Autopsy Bay at the Hub came to mind.

His eyes opened and his body jerked upward. He _so_ did not want to wake up in the Bay partially dissected or something. Or what if there was another Risen Mitten out there? He definitely didn't think he'd be much use as a walking corpse.

In fact, he was not in a morgue, or at least not one he'd ever seen before. The floor he was laying on was a dense sort of metal and around him a cavernous room hummed and beeped like a life support machine. At the center was a massive contraption much like the Rift Manipulator. An eyebrow quirked at the unusual site. Was he in a futuristic version of the Hub? The same Spacy vibe echoed off every piece of gizmo.

He then noticed how cold he was, looked down at himself, and noticed he was completely nude. Lovely.

Ianto stood up stiffly, losing his balance several times and feeling the strangest sense of vertigo. Like he was standing on a ledge about to leap to his death. Which was disconcerting in and of itself, as he had an astonishing fear of heights. Though no one would have guessed it. Fear, amongst other feelings, were easily masked by Stoic Indifference with a hint of Self Loathing and Cynicism. Also know as Ianto's face.

He sighed, feeling his spine pop as he once again caught himself before he toppled over.

His first priority was finding clothes. At least pants. Truthfully, even a sheet would do, but as he circled the room with its stairs and wires and gadgets, he found nothing at all that could defend his dignity.

With a sudden bang and a lot of swearing, a storm of people filling into the area from a door he hadn't paid much attention to at one side of the room.

"Under no circumstances were you to touch the fountain! I told you didn't I? S'not my fault you've turned blue now, is it?" A lanky man in an unusual suit and bow tie snapped, tossing what looked like a towel into the center of the room. Ianto watched it land with a light 'fluff' sound and focused on it, his hands doing their best to hide his nakedness, waiting for someone to notice him.

"You didn't say it would turn me BLUE! You didn't say it was dangerous! 'Careful of the fountain,' is not a proper way to tell someone NOT to touch a fountain!" A ginger haired woman replied in Scottish lilt, her tone sour as she pointed an accusing finger at the man in the bow tie. Her skin was a most strange shade of cyan.

She followed him through the room, continuing on about this Fountain of Blue, neither of them taking notice of Ianto at all. The other man who was with them had, though, and was staring open mouthed and confused, probably trying to decide why there was a naked man just standing in the middle of their...foyer.

"Um...?" He stuttered.

He was tall, blond and had an unassuming face. The kind of face that was handsome, but easily over looked and forgotten. Ianto mused that he would have made a good spy had he not been giving off an awkward vibe that rivaled even Ianto's own.

"Hullo." Ianto said, smiling a quick, pinched looked of discomfort.

"Yeah...hey there..." Another look of confusion, a glance around at his companions and deciding they wouldn't be of much help, continued on. "Who are you, and why are you standing there nude?"

"I'd love to answer you but at the moment I don't really know...In fact, a few minutes ago I'm pretty certain I was dead, and then suddenly I'm just well...here..." Ianto said the last word slowly, his eyebrows rising high on his forehead.

"Huh...well, sounds like a problem..."The man continued, his own eyebrows rising.

"Yes, though presently I much rather be alive. Could use some trousers though. A bit drafty." Ianto quipped. It was hard to keep standing in place. He wanted to fidget so bad.

"Uh...yeah..." He faded off again. Ianto was wondering if he could form more than one sentence an hour.

"Sweetheart?" the man called out.

"What?" Both bickering voices in the background answered. The man sighed.

"Can you come here...wait no! Don't! Doctor, just you. I don't want my wife to see this..." He muttered more to himself.

Of course both individuals came back into Ianto's view.

"Oh..." Said the man referred to as the Doctor.

"Well now!" Said a now smirking blue Smurf-like woman.

"We have an intruder." The blond replied without emotion, just to state the obvious.

"Yes, well, he can intrude as long as he likes!" Said the fiery female.

"Amy, seriously? You always seem to forget you're married when it's convenient don't you?" The blond sighed again. He sounded used to her behavior.

"Oh, dear, you know I love you, but I have eyes! I can still look at him can't I? It's not like I'm gonna touch him y'know." She huffed out, though really, the gleam in her eyes said otherwise.

"You! You shouldn't be here." said the Doctor as he shuffled around him, peering at his face and poking him in the shoulder. "Nope, definitely not. You're all weird, you are. Shouldn't be here. How did you get here anyway?" He seemed to punctuate each word with another poke.

"Wouldn't know. Just was. Am." Ianto replied, shivering. "Do you have trousers? Maybe a sheet? Something? It's a bit chilly you know, not wearing clothes and all." He could feel his face coloring for the first time. He supposed Jack had hardened his sensibilities a bit. Normally he'd be half fainting with embarrassment by now.

"Oh! Yes, well, I've got a closet. Is that a Welsh accent? Have we met before, because you look vaguely familiar..." He trailed off, throwing an arm over Ianto's pale shoulder and steering him towards a hallway. Presumably towards clothing.

He heard a cat call from the peanut gallery behind them.

"I don't think we have. I'd remember a man in a bow tie." Ianto tried to recall if he'd seen the man before, then thought a bit harder. "That Amy girl's husband called you 'Doctor'?" Ianto asked.

"Yes, I'm The Doctor." The Doctor said, emphasizing the 'the'.

"You can't be 'The Doctor' though. You don't look the same. Are there two of you? Jack only ever mentioned one..."

"Jack? Jack who? Oh! I know where I've seen you, you're from his little team yea? Harkness'? When the Earth moved to the Medusa Cascade and all?" The Doctor questioned excitedly. "Same Doctor different face. Well, different everything. Regeneration you see."

"I don't see, actually..."

"Well, the Doctor you met before, is technically dead and gone, and was reborn as a new person; me!" He smiled proudly. "Far more sexy I've been told. Though I wouldn't be a great judge of that. The TARDIS is far more appealing, I'd say."

"Sure...trousers?" Ianto asked again.

"Oh, yes, should be round here somewhere!"

They had traveled a bit deeper into the building, The Doctor opening random doors to cavernous rooms filled with odds and ends until finally opening a door to a room filled with clothing. Some of it lay scattered in piles, while others were neatly hung on hangers in wardrobes and closets. The room seemed to go on forever.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. The TARDIS hasn't deemed you as a threat even if you are a bit out of place. I'm sure you can manage on your own for a bit?"

"If I don't start cleaning, yes..."Ianto looked at the room with dread. The urge to organize was magnetic.

"I wouldn't bother if I were you, Sexy tends to move things about, so It wouldn't be much use." The Doctor shrugged.

"Sexy?"

"The TARDIS. My little nick name for her. She liked it." He smiled big and leaned in close. His eyes seemed to bore into him knowingly, but the look was so out of place that it simply confused Ianto. "Well, come back to the control room when you're done!" The strange man instructed before bounding off.

Ianto twitched.

He walked into the large space filled with layers upon layers of clothing. He wanted a suit. A nice, bespoke suit. It didn't feel right without one. It was his armor against the Universe and it's intricacies.

As he looked around, he tried to file away the information he had come by. He was with The Doctor. Jack's Doctor. Who wasn't the Same Doctor, but still the only Doctor. He didn't bother trying to understand it. For now he would just accept it. He had other things to worry about.

From Jack's tales, and his own brief meeting with the Doctor over the video conference that fateful day so long ago now, he had thought of The Doctor as some sort of superhero he could never really compete with in Jack's heart. He still knew he couldn't compete, but the hero persona didn't seem to fit this man so well. Yes, he knew the Doctor spent every second saving the Universe, but he seemed humble and a bit weird.

He would have fit in well with Torchwood, though he had a feeling he wasn't as violent as Torchwood would want him to be.

He came across a plain black wardrobe, hidden in a far corner of the metallic room. Chancing a look inside, he found what appeared to be several suits in different ranges of fabrics. They were dark in color, some with pin stripes and some solid. Pulling one of the solid black suits out, he raised the trousers to his hips, trying to guess if they might fit him or not. Deeming them close enough, he pulled on the jacket, it fit comfortably, though without a mirror he had no idea what it looked like on. Surprisingly, it had a dark gray waistcoat with it, almost as if it had been placed there with Ianto in mind, and quickly tying it on, found that it fir snugly against his skin, but loose enough that he knew it would fit perfectly with a shirt under it.

Pulling the waistcoat off, he went in search of some undergarments and a shirt to go with the suit. It wasn't decent to wear trousers without some sort of underwear, though he knew Jack had loved it when Ianto went without.

But Jack wasn't here, and until a handful of minutes ago, Ianto was certain he had been dead. He needed his armor more than ever and if was going to face the world displaced as he was, he would do it properly.

He found a basic pair of plain black boxer briefs, hoping to any god in existence that they were new, or at least clean, along with a pair of dark trouser socks. After dressing in the basics, he pulled the well fitted trousers up his legs, fastening them then moving to the dress shirt he had found. It was a violet color, with threads of shimmering red silk interwoven into it. It was wonderful and looked a great deal like a shirt he used to own, but far softer to touch. While pushing the buttons through button holes, he mused that none of the garments had brands.

Next came the waistcoat. He almost started to put his arm through the sleeves of the jacket, when he realized he was missing a tie, a belt and most of all; shoes. Carefully folding the soft coat over an arm, he wandered a bit through the room, searching for anything that looked like a pile of ties or leather. He managed to find a black tie, which curiously had the same bits of red woven into it. The shoes were easily found, sitting on what looked like a hat box, and also equally amusing was that they fit perfectly, again, like they had been waiting for him. He never did find a belt, though he decided the pants fit well enough without them.

What he couldn't understand, was if these things, all exactly in the size he needed them were in that room, why hadn't they been in one place, all together?

Ianto scowled.

* * *

He reentered the Control Room, hearing the sounds of bickering he had grown familiar with at the Hub. The kind of bickering one partook in when they were bored or couldn't find anything better to do. He felt a wave of melancholy descend on him as he thought of Owen pestering Tosh, and Gwen running around in circles trying to fix the world.

Another deep sigh. There was no coffee machine for him to clean, no papers to file and no Team. Just the strange group of people who, he highly doubted, had the answers he needed.

"Where are we and what year is it?" He dreaded going outside, back into the world. There were so many things that could happen, when a man came back from the dead, but still, he needed to figure out _why_ he'd come back from the dead, and why he was now in the company of The Doctor. His female companion was throwing him a catty look, sort of like she enjoyed the view, but would much rather see him taking the suit off. He wasn't sure what to make of that, and felt his face heat.

"Well, we're currently on the Harriett 9, a space station just outside Mars. The year is 4349. However, in your old timeline, we'll say it should be 2015 If I recall correctly." He shrugged. "Do you know how you got here by chance? Artifact maybe? Crack in time? I can't even begin to understand why you're here if I don't know the how...and vise versa really." The Doctor looked puzzled, his hair showing signs of a good pull from frustration.

"Well, I died back on Earth. The 4-5-6. Spent a brief interlude in a death sort of Void and suddenly woke up here." Ianto crossed his arms. "Can you make anything of that?" He questioned, his accent thickening.

"You were dead? I doubt it. Couldn't be...or shouldn't be. We both have proof it's happened before. I'd rather not entertain those possibilities though and certainly do not want to test the theory." The Doctor's scowl darkened considerably. "The 4-5-6 though. They're a pretty nasty bunch. Not something I could intervene on though. Set in stone as it were.

"Just telling you how it is..." Ianto muttered, looking away. He couldn't quite understand why he felt like he had disappointed the Doctor some how. He hadn't intended to die, nor had he intended to show up here, presently not dead.

"I don't know what you two are talking about really, but you think it might have something to do with that explosion? You know, the one a couple days ago? What was it? A sun or something?" Amy asked, throwing herself into the conversation. "It's the only thing that's happened that's a bit more unusual than the unusual. We were pretty close to it too."

Amy was tall and well proportioned. She had a model's figure but a sort of boyish charm. Her hair was a bit past her shoulders and fell in copper waves, complimenting her pale skin. Her eyes were big and round much like Gwen's however instead of the love, judgment and curiosity he usually saw in the Welshwoman's, he saw exuberance, courage and excitement.

"You may have a point Amy. A great point indeed. What about you...?" The Doctor looked questioningly at Ianto.

"Ianto Jones."

"Ianto? What a Welsh name for such a Welsh man..." The Doctor trailed off. "Oh, oh yes, anyways, has anything unusual happened to you recently? No, wait, that's a foolish question...you sure you didn't touch anything weird I mean?"

Ianto quirked an eyebrow at the man. "My last days on Earth were spent getting blown up, hunted by assassins, rescuing my boss and trying to save the children. I died confronting the 4-5-6. I think that itself is unusual." Ianto replied, a slight hint at his frustration in his voice.

"Why is it that you're so sure that you died? You're here, very much alive ." The tall man asked, fidgeting more so than before.

"Doctor, do you know what comes after death?" Ianto asked carefully.

"Unfortunately I do. Never experienced it myself though, well not _really_."

"When you die, there isn't anything but the emptiness. The darkness. It's all encompassing. I was never alone Doctor. There was always something there, something I couldn't see. I know from a good friend, that he had the same experience after he died, and he was very, very dead. Even when he came back, he was still dead and the darkness was still there." Ianto paused, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "So yes Doctor. I'm sure that I was dead. No, I'm certain, with everything that I am, that I was dead. However, I have no inclination to go back to that."

The Doctor had a haunted look on his face and simply nodded. He no longer questioned Ianto and if he still had any doubt about it, the determined look on Ianto's face kept him from asking again.

"Well, let's figure out why you're alive then, and maybe we can take you back home. Don't want to upset any timelines though."

* * *

The Doctor had punched in some coordinates, or so Ianto assumed, and soon they were traveling through space, towards some sort of bar where he said "Theres'a girl there that does a bit of fortune telling. Well, she's not _really_ a girl, but it doesn't matter, what matter's is that she may have a few answers. You wont see me going to her very often though. Usually don't need to. However! Without the proper evidence, we can't really turn anywhere else." He mused. "I can't say I've seen this before, really a bit unique, but people get displaced all the time, in time, so really it's also not very unique at all." The Doctor's mood was lighter now that they weren't talking about death.

He'd run a pen-like device over him, calling it a Sonic Screwdriver, and affirmed that Ianto was in perfect health, was alive, was human, was _not_ a ghost, was not afflicted with the same condition as Jack and also allergic to pollen. All of which he already knew.

Now, Ianto found himself standing in front of the open doorway, watching as the stars flew by, entranced with the Majesty of the Universe. But even with all of the beauty and wonder, he still felt a bone deep wariness that worse was yet to come. He also found himself missing Jack more and more with every passing second.

By Earth standards, he'd been dead for a couple of years. In the void he had felt it like an eternity, and now, back alive and breathing, he felt like it had only been a few days. It was like a most obscure and traumatizing jet lag.

He let his mind wander. Where was Jack? What was Jack doing right now? He was certain the enigmatic man had already moved on, even if it had only been a short time relatively speaking since Ianto 'died'.

And what about Gwen? If she was still alive he was sure she must have had the baby by now. Gwen and Rhys would be good parents, Ianto was sure of it. With how nurturing Gwen was and how down to Earth and amiable Rhys was, the child would be spoiled rotten. However, Ianto couldn't help wondering if something had gone wrong. _Were_ Gwen and Rhys still alive? Was the baby? The Doctor hadn't said much on the 4-5-6 other than that he couldn't have gotten involved. Did that mean the Earth was okay then? The children? His sister?

He felt a presence nearby, and turned slightly, almost robotic, and watched The Doctor side up to him.

"Gorgeous isn't it?" The Time Lord asked. Ianto nodding in response.

"Amy never notices it really. She likes the adventure and the danger mostly. And Rory, well, he likes being here with her to keep her safe. He's a good man." The Doctor said affectionately.

"They're nice enough I suppose. A bit unusual, they are, but then again, I don't think I've met anyone normal in a long time." Ianto smirked.

"Why haven't you asked about Earth? About your friends?" The Doctor said suddenly. "I'm sure you want to know."

"I..."Ianto started, then faltered, a dark look crossing his features. "I want to know but at the same time, I want to pretend that the 4-5-6 hadn't happened and that everyone is there on Earth chasing down weevils and drinking instant coffee."

"Well, the Rift is gone, so there are distinctly less Weevils around. I can't tell you whether or not they're drinking instant coffee though. I prefer tea myself."

"The Rift is gone?" Ianto was bewildered.

"Yup!" The Doctor smiled a toothy grin. "Though, a lot has happened since the 4-5-6 incident. I don't know what I can tell you though...I think it's best if you find out from your friends if we can get you back on Earth."

"If?" Ianto felt a knot form in his stomach.

"Well, I don't really know why you're here. I don't know how you got here. I don't even know if you're in the right reality, as it's quite possible that whatever brought you here, brought you from some other _here_."

"I see." Ianto didn't see, though he assumed it must have been pretty important, considering the wrinkles in The Doctor's brow.

"Good. Don't want to upset all of Space and Time and whatnot, you know." The Doctor's brow smoothed and another smile lit up his face.

"Yup." Ianto sighed. Jack's Doctor worship was even more obvious when met with the same phrases he'd heard thousands of times from his lover.

"Anyways! Won't be long now and we should be on Orion's Belt. If I calculated it right, our little psychic will be there too."

"And if you calculated it wrong?" the suited young man asked.

"I never calculate anything wrong! The TARDIS has a mind of her own though, you know." The Doctor once more scowled, but this time a distinct pout formed.

"Of course. How could I forget?"

* * *

**To Be Continued!**

**Hello again! I've come back to FF with another story for another fandom. This is going to a multichapter fic with angsty/romance-y/adventure-y goodness.  
**

**It's something I've been thinking about since the end of Children of Earth and I've finally decided to work on it a bit. I have a pretty big plot thingy going on, and hopefully I haven't cheapened Torchwood by writing this. I'm a bit worried about how well I write some of the characters, so please let me know what you think. I'm also worried that I might not come up with terribly original names for fancy space places and all, since there are sooo many mentioned in Torchwood and Doctor Who that I don't want to accidentally get a real Whoverse place incorrect somehow. So much easier to invent my own places and species. I will use known Aliens and all too, just not sure which ones. Any suggestions?  
**

**Also, to let you all know, I'll be referring to things from some of the Torchwood Novels and dramas and whatnot.  
**

**So, yeah, again! Please R&R!  
**


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